Two UA Interns Working with Senate Republican Caucus

JUNEAU – Two members of the Senate Republican Caucus are pleased to have interns with the University of Alaska Legislative Internship Program working in their offices this legislative session.

Jonathon Taylor, a political science major at the University of Alaska Anchorage, is an intern in the office of Sen. Cathy Giessel, R-Anchorage.

“I am thrilled and excited to be interning with the Legislature,” Taylor said. “I’m looking forward to learning more about and participating in the legislative process.”

“It is my hope to provide Jonathon a wide range of tasks and experiences that will be helpful to him in understanding how the Legislature really works,” Giessel said.

Jordan Shilling, a political science major from the Fairbanks campus, is serving an internship in the office of Sen. John Coghill.

“This internship is an invaluable experience,” Shilling said. “I am grateful for the opportunity to work alongside Sen. Coghill and his experienced staff.”

“It is a real pleasure to have Jordan working with us,” Coghill said. “We have had UAF interns in our office each of the past four sessions, and I see the program as mutually beneficial, where we in the Legislature get as much out of it as the students do.”

Glenn D. Wright, Assistant Professor of Government at the University of Alaska Southeast and director of the internship program, said, “The University of Alaska Legislative Internship Program has a history of working with the legislature. It has produced several legislators, numerous staffers and government workers, and a number of students who’ve gone on to work in academia and political science; the Program is a crucial building block for future Alaskan leadership.”

UAS Chancellor John Pugh said, “This program gives young people in the university system the opportunity to experience the real world of politics by melding academics and book work with practical, real-world experience. We’ve seen students who go through this Program not only obtain an excellent background in how legislation and policy are made in Alaska, but also become leaders in the state and their local communities.”